ByWITH ANALYSIS FROM MONITOR CORRESPONDENTS AROUND THE WORLDEDITED BY RUTH WALKERFebruary 27, 1980

Salisbury, Rhodesia
— Tight security was clamped on Salisbury and other big cities Tuesday as Rhodesia geared for pre-independence elections that will create Africa's newest independent nation and possibly alter the balance of power in the south of the continent. Police manned roadblocks around the capital and combat troops patrolled main roads with machine guns mounted on their camouflaged trucks.

Meanwhile, in Geneva, the UN Human Rights Commission approved a strongly worded resolution demanding free elections in Rhodesia, despite objections from Britain and other Western countries.

The document said South Africa had played a diabolical role in the violation of human rights in Rhodesia and demanded that it be prevented from further meddling in the country.